Concrete Base

Is there anyone out there who could help try and solve a problem Mr Kandy has with the base of our conservatory that he has been building {nearly 4 years in the making}The builder who laid the base down all those years ago and seems now like he was a cowboy,didn't get the inside level correct,and the concrete on the base slopes.It is about 1 1/2" to 2" difference in the level from one side to the other.

Last weekend we trudged off to Wickes and B&Q to try and get some self levelling compound,but the compound they do will only make the level higher by 5mm.Is there any DIY experts that can advise us as to what we can do to get round this problem as he is getting dispondent and I am fed up with not having the nice conservatory that was promised on the tin.

Yours in anticipation
Kandy :D :D

 

Hi KF,is the base of cement or concrete,either way are you going to have a wood floor on top ?if wood floor then this difference can be made up,if cement floor would suggest making key marks and lay another thin layer of cement on top and if concrete do the same,this i think is called screed,laid semi dry

 

Screed is a wet process,and can be laid up to 75 mm thick and about a minimum of 40mm.

[ 19. November 2006, 07:15 PM: Message edited by: Paladin ]

 

Macleaf,Mr Kandy says the base is concrete,which is made from cement.
We are not sure yet whether to lay a wooden floor or large tiles,like they put in kitchens these days when they build new houses.Sorry Mr Kandy just said no wooden flooring.We need something that is easily cleaned of cat footprints and Mr Kandy's as he no doubt will come in that way with mud on his shoes.

Nick,Mr Kandy says if we start at a minimum of 40mm then we won't get the doors open to the lounge.He says it has got to go from nothing up to 50mm.Don't ask me what all this means as he is telling me and I am typing it.I have even considered writing to DIY SOS and asking for their help.All the builders in this area,came to give us a quote originally for the whole job,but then never sent us through the estimate,that is why we ended up with the one we had.

Also there is a sealed drain cover in the conservatory.

All this is doing my head in
:( :(

By the way,Hi Macleaf hope you are well

 

if the floor is concrete which has a rough surface then it would be possible to do this to your height you require,as for the manhole,i would lay the tiles with a square left for the hole,then make a lid of some sorts this then could be covered in the tiles to fit and match.
yes im well thanks for asking

 

Hi WOO.Mr kandy was saying that because the base is sloping,then even putting down tiles or such like ,he says there will still be a problem.He says you can't lay flooring down on a sloping floor.Thanks though for you advice

 

I think you should look at leveling 'down' first..That is, to break out some of the existing higher parts to allow a more uniform thickness and not have a feathered edge which will crack up eventually for sure.

 

Pal,Mr Kandy was toying with that idea,to get his electric sanding disk out to try and level it off,but I don't think the neighbours would appreciate having concrete dust flying all over the place,they are a fussy lot here.
He Googled yesterday,and found a firm up in Staffs that make a levelling compound and distributers i think he said down Newbury way,so will probably see if he can get some from there.
Thanks for your advice

 

Kandy if you use a mortar mix for levelling use uni-bond to mix your sand and cement with use it as strong as you can comfortably mix it it says 5:1 on the tin but double the amount you will find you can go down to a feather edge without the mortar crumbling when it dries

 

Hi Kandy, I thought we were a long while having our conservatory built as it was started last year about septemer time and did'nt get finished till march this year. I was getting very impatent and fed up with the mess. There were problems all the way.
Then like you, we had the same trouble with the floor, we bought self leveling cement but it didn't work, so we had hired a plasterer to redo it, he also did the walls too, and he did a brilliant job. We have a drain inside, which will be covered with the same grey stone tiles as the floor, we were told if you drop something on these tiles they won't show a different colour
underneath, as the stone ones are the same colour all the way through.

We have decorated it now, but can't do anymore till the lounge is finished which too has been decorated and we are in the process of fitting a real wood floor.

After that is done the piping for the central heating has to be put in to the conservatory then we can lay the tiles hurray. May be done for xmas we hope.
In the summer it was lovely to sit in there, and look out on the garden so the best is yet to come. I wish we'd had one years ago. Good luck you will enjoy it eventully.
To view our conservatory go into members galley.

Just one more thing I thought i would mention, if you need a trusted tradesmen instead of a cowboy, my son has recently started an internet site called. www.trustedtrades.co.uk
It's a brilliant site and has all kinds of trades on there. When you find it click on search and see what people who have been happy with their tradesmens work, have written. My son does'nt get paid for this, but if you click on the bottom of the page he gets a little something to help host the site. Hope this all helps.